The rise of parasite architecture

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Studio by Fernando Abellanas – This secret workspace hangs off a highway in Valencia, Spain.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Studio by Fernando Abellanas – Despite not having legally purchased the right to build there, Abellanas says that the authorities haven't contacted him about his site.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Studio by Fernando Abellanas – The project, he says, is a reflection of the lack of space in cities.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Homeless shelters by James Furzer – These parasitic pods were designed for homeless individuals.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Homeless shelters by James Furzer – Furzer says his designs are a response to "hostile architecture" in cities -- a controversial type of design intended to prohibit people from using public spaces in certain unsanctioned ways i.e. to sleep on a park bench.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

LightHouse by All(Zone) – Through its use of light materials, this structure provides an escape from the punishing heat of Bangkok.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

LightHouse by All(Zone) – The design is suitable for use in tropical metropolises, All(Zone) says.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Detached by Panos Dragonas & Varvara Christopoulou – This hut designed by two Greek architects attaches to rooftops.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Detached by Panos Dragonas & Varvara Christopoulou – Covering just 97 square feet (9 square meters), it is envisioned as an hideaway in the heart of Athens, as these renderings show.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

3Box by Stephane Malka Architecture – These glass, steel and wooden structures are designed to fill spaces between buildings in prime areas of Paris.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

3Box by Stephane Malka Architecture – They provide much-needed affordable inner-city housing in the French capital.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Manifest Destiny! by Mark Reigelman & Jenny Chapman – Attached to a downtown San Francisco hotel, this structure is an imaginative use of urban space.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Manifest Destiny! by Mark Reigelman & Jenny Chapman – Fitted in 2012, the structure looks like a bird house and comes with a solar-panelled roof.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Havre 77 by Francisco Pardo Architecto – This structure in Mexico City is attached to a 19th-century home.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Havre 77 by Francisco Pardo Architecto – The parasitic architecture project turned a deteriorating building into office space, two restaurants and a co-working facility.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Rucksack House by Stefan Eberstadt – This extension can be attached to any home, and has been installed in Leipzig, Cologne and Bamberg in Germany.

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Photos:The rise of parasite architecture

Shoreditch Rooms by Archer Architects – A three-story building is added to the roof of a derelict former London pub.